Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 May Run On MediaTek’s High-end Helio X10 Chip, Same As HTC One ME

Xiaomi is releasing its latest smartphone user interface software on Aug. 13. Anticipation has built up that its Redmi Note 2 will also be released around the same time. Photo: Xiaomi/MIUI Forum

Xiaomi Corp. seems set on continuing to introduce high-end specs into handsets that are typically priced significantly lower than those of older established competitors, even as domestic rivals such as Huawei Technology nip at its heels.

The next iteration of Xiaomi’s mid-range, 5.5-inch phablet -- the Redmi Note 2 -- will run on MediaTek’s Helio X10 processor, GizChina reported, citing a leak on Chinese social media site Weibo. The same chip does duty on HTC Corp.’s recently released One ME.

Given that previous leaks have suggested extremely low prices for the Redmi Note 2, if all the rumors about the specs are true -- that it might be equipped with the same high-end chip that powers what is essentially a top-end HTC phone -- makes the Xiaomi offering worth waiting for.

The Helio X10 has a processor with eight cores running at 2.2GHz. On the HTC One ME, it serves up computing prowess to a smartphone with 5.2-inch quad-HD display, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, 20MP primary camera, 4MP selfie camera and a fingerprint sensor.

As for the Redmi Note 2, GizChina reports that a Weibo user with the handle @kjuma has posted what's claimed to be photographs of a working model of the phone and its packaging.

The smartphone’s previously rumored specs include a 1080p 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage, 13MP primary camera and 5MP for the selfie shooter. Earlier rumors have also speculated that the smartphone would run on the eight-core Snapdragon 615 processor, which is on Xiaomi’s Mi4i smartphone as well.